Community Benefits Approach

We strive to be a good neighbor, and we work to support a healthy environment and vibrant communities.

Community Benefit Dashboard   Community Benefit Annual Report

At the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, our mission is to provide our customers with high-quality, efficient, and reliable water, power, and sewer services in a manner that is inclusive of environmental and community interests, and that sustains the resources entrusted to our care. We strive to be a good neighbor and work to support a healthy environment and create vibrant communities.

We are proud to be the first utility in the nation to pass Environmental Justice (2009) and Community Benefits (2011) policies that demonstrate our responsibility and commitment to serving the community. These two forward-thinking policies have formed our Community Benefits Division. Our mission was further reinforced by the passing of the SFPUC Racial Justice Resolution in 2020. 

Over the years, we’ve worked with government agencies around the nation to replicate our efforts in their local communities. We are proud to share our community benefits approach and resources with the goal of helping other agencies to implement policies and programs that support a healthy environment and vibrant communities.

We are committed to creating positive change through inclusive policies and partnerships that benefit all communities.

You can learn more about our programs at the links below, as well as check out our Community Benefit Dashboard and Community Benefit Annual Report. 

Community Benefit Programs

Southeast Community Center: Built to honor a cultural and historical legacy in the Bayview neighborhood, the Southeast Community Center is a local resource hub that promotes the health, well-being, cultural, educational, and financial empowerment of San Francisco’s Southeast residents.

Environmental Justice and Land Use: Within our agency, we aim to raise awareness of environmental justice issues, address inequities, and celebrate diverse cultures while stewarding our natural resources. We also partner with community organizations to transform underutilized SFPUC properties into thriving community gardens in San Francisco: Hummingbird Farm, Garden for the Environment, and College Hill Learning Garden.

Education: We provide free environmental education focused on water, power, and sewer concepts. We host school field trips and resources for educators, so that all youth can be active participants in stewarding natural resources. 

Youth Workforce: Investing in the future of our city, we provide pathways to careers in government and utility industries for young people. Through our grant program, we partner with schools and community organizations to cultivate a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects our city.

Arts: To implement the City and County’s 2% for the Arts Ordinance, we partner with local artists that have meaningful connections to the communities we serve and are inspired by the rich history of San Francisco and beyond. 

Social Impact Partnerships: We invite private firms contracted by the SFPUC to voluntarily invest resources into the communities we serve. Our participating firms support job exposure, small businesses, public education, and environmental and community health.  

Community Benefit Dashboard